19 August 2008

JONATHAN EDWARDS says Phillips Idowu should fear nobody in his bid to claim Olympic triple jump gold in Beijing.

The Londoner carried on his superb form this season to easily qualify for Thursday’s final in Beijing, stirring memories of the dominance that 2004 Olympic champion Edwards demonstrated in his pomp.

And Edwards believes that even though the pressure will be cranked up significantly on Thursday, Idowu can prove that concerns over his bottle on the big stage are unfounded.

He said: “Phillips looked fantastic in qualifying, he couldn’t have really asked for a more assured performance.

“But his qualifying jump won’t really mean a great deal to him now, he’s always been a pretty good qualifier but there’s a very different psychological pressure on you when you’re jumping in the qualifiers than when you are jumping for an Olympic medal.

“He has in the past in major outdoor championship finals not produced the best jumps, so there is a little bit of a history there, but that said this season he has looked fantastic.

“He won the world indoor title earlier this year when he was one of the favourites and when you look at the field for this final there is nobody there who Phillips needs to be scared of.”

Idowu is the world’s leading jumper this year and has been in the form of his life all through 2008, form he will hope to carry into Thursday’s final.

A win for the charismatic athlete would make him one of the stars of the Games for Team GB and ensure a rapturous ovation at the Olympic homecoming meeting – the Aviva British Grand Prix in Gateshead on August 31.

Idowu has also maintained he is in the sort of form to challenge Edwards’ stunning world record of 18.29m, something Edwards believes may have to wait.

Edwards added: I think him breaking my record is probably asking a bit too much. Winning the Olympic title would be quite enough I think, and then he can turn his thoughts to the record perhaps another day.”

The Aviva British Grand Prix is one of the key sporting events taking place in 2008 as part of NewcastleGateshead’s world-class festivals and events programme.  www.NewcastleGateshead.com

Tickets for the Aviva British Grand Prix at the Gateshead International Stadium on 31 August 2008 are available by phone on 08000 556 056 or online at www.ukathletics.net